Local surfers and those who would like to learn the sport are a step closer to having a wave-generating park at their disposal in South Jacksonville after action Feb. 19 by the City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee.
On a unanimous vote, the seven-member committee approved a rezoning for the proposed Jacksonville Surf Park mixed-use development in eTown.
As contained in Ordinance 2025-0007, the rezoning is from Commercial Community General-1 to Planned Unit Development. It would allow for up to 3,500 residential units and 3.6 million square feet of nonresidential uses.
The surf park, developed by global surf park creator Aventuur and area partners, is proposed on 55.27 acres at 11374 Etown Parkway. It is part of a 237.4-acre development southwest of the Florida 9B and Interstate 295 interchange. In city documents, the development is listed as E Town Village Center West.
A staff report states that plans call for office, institutional, commercial, multifamily, entertainment and recreational uses on the site.
The report says the applicants sought the rezoning to allow for development of facilities that include “an outdoor surf park and associated support equipment, other recreational facilities, restaurants with on- and off-premises consumption of liquor, beer, and wine, retail outlets, food markets, nightclubs and similar establishments, child and adult daycare, auto service stations, banks and other financial institutions.”
Portions of the property have already been developed, including a town home community with a total of 229 units.
The LUZ Committee’s approval came with three conditions, including a requirement for a traffic study and limits on the size of “project identity pole/pylon signs” on Florida 9B. Those signs can be no taller than 65 feet or 300 square feet in area. The property owner is Westland Timber LLC, which is affiliated with the Davis family. Prosser | Prime AE is the project architect/planner and engineer.
With the committee’s vote, the ordinance advances to the full City Council for final consideration.